Millburn Library to host author Stephanie Hoopes Halpin on March 7

Who are the working poor in New Jersey? The United Way of Northern New Jersey set out to learn about the needs of New Jerseyans who work but who barely can afford to live here, and the results have been issued in a report titled “ALICE: Study of Financial Hardship of New Jersey.

ALICE refers to those who are Asset-Limited, Income Constrained and Employed. The study’s author, Stephanie Hoopes Halpin, assistant professor at School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers-Newark, and director of the NJ Databank, will present findings about New Jerseyans who are ALICE on Thursday, March 7, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Millburn Public Library, Millburn.

Professor Hoopes Halpin will describe how New Jersey low-wage workers who earn more than the federal poverty level cannot make enough to sustain a reasonably healthy standard of living in this state. She will describe who in the workforce is struggling in New Jersey, how much income and assistance is necessary to live in New Jersey, and the characteristics of a “household sustainability budget” versus a “household survival budget.” She will examine similarities and differences among the counties, along with effects of the recession that began in 2007. With low-wage jobs forecasted to continue to dominate the job market for the foreseeable future, Professor Hoopes Halpin will illustrate the role ALICE families will continue to play in New Jersey communities.

Professor Hoopes Halpin, a resident of Mountain Lakes, holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.

The ALICE presentation is sponsored by the New Jersey Wellesley Club, a nonprofit organization, and Millburn Public Library. The public is invited, at no charge.